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Talk:Today
NBC Universal Archives Check it out: the NBC Univeral Archives. They have info, and sometimes transcripts and video, for NBC news programming. I added a few things, but I'm sure there's much more to be found. The search isn't the greatest; it helps to know exactly what you're looking for. And it appears that sometimes the "event date" is wrong, but the "air date" is still right. Anyway, cool resource! -- Ozzel 00:03, March 13, 2011 (UTC) :Would Jim have done modeling on Today? This transcript lists Hugh Downs, author Cleveland Amory, etc all wearing the suits. That's crazy, recruiting guests so you don't have to pay models! Can we trust the transcript? -- Zanimum 02:30, December 14, 2011 (UTC) ::No reason to doubt the transcript (which is from the actual network after all, taken from viewing of that surviving kinescope), even if it sloppily misspells Jim's name, but that happened quite a bit at the time, sometimes even in official print sources). And "modeling" is likely overstating it (and it wasn't just a way to avoid paying people). This was 1963 and this was a gimmick, basically supplying the guests with clothing and using New York personalities/celebrities to make it more interesting. This was common in advertising, TV, and before that, radio, before people began charging more just to come on and do a schtick or gag. Only today we're used to that showing up as photo spreads in People or something, not on TV. I'm mostly interested because it's from the Jack Lescoulie era (which would give me another connection for Old-time radio). -- Andrew Leal (talk) 03:34, December 16, 2011 (UTC) Wanda Sykes as Elmo Wanda Sykes dressed as Elmo to appear on Today, on Halloween. Is this relevant to this page, or only Sesame Street Halloween costumes (Disguise)? -- Zanimum 14:29, November 6, 2009 (UTC) :Maybe we could create a page in the Halloween category of celebrities dressed as Muppets? Jimmy Kimmel Live would certainly be included in that category, and maybe even Lady Gaga in one of her many Muppet outfits (which is a stretch). I'm sure there are others out there though too. -- Nate (talk) 17:40, November 12, 2009 (UTC) Elmo's Birthday Does anyone know when this appearance was from? -- Brad D. (talk) :This embedded link for downloading the video shows the file name of the clip to be "tdy_lauer_elmo_070202.flv". Since the description on the page provides "Feb. 2," I'd bet it's from February 2, 2007. — Julian (talk) 10:19, September 15, 2009 (UTC) Page Move: "The Today Show" to "Today" Per the discussion below, I tried to move this page to "Today" but couldn't due to the redirect set-up there. Could an administrator help with the move. Thanks. -- Brad D. (talk) 07:22, 3 January 2009 (UTC) :Thanks!-- Brad D. (talk) 08:30, 3 January 2009 (UTC) Steve Schirripa, today on ''Today Steve Schirripa appeared on Today this morning to promote A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa. He was clearly there for that particular special, even though he did talk about other things. Since he was talking about a Muppet production, does that fall under list of appearances (where I've put it) or somewhere else? The spent about 8 minutes talking to him. -- Zanimum 19:18, 17 December 2008 (UTC) : I shouldn't see why not. There are some other segments with peoplepromoting other things.... -- Joe (talk) 20:49, 21 December 2008 (UTC) ::Actually, it doesn't fit. For our purposes, we track appearances by people promoting other things *with* the Muppets. We don't even have a full list of every, say, Frank Oz talkshow appearance, which would be more relevant than Schirripa. Strictly speaking, in fact, the appearances section is to track appearances by Muppets. We have tracked rare occasions when someone like Kevin Clash has appeared solo, since they're unquestionably tied to the Muppets, but that's about it. So far, we haven't even tracked random guest appearances by Sesame cast members unless accompanied by a Muppet, as far as I can tell. -- Andrew Leal (talk) 23:48, 21 December 2008 (UTC) :::Well we have tracked some Muppet-less appearances on other shows and events. For example, Late Night with Conan O'Brien lists appearances by Quentin Tarantino promoting The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (added by Danny) and Andie MacDowell promoting Muppets from Space (added by Carolyn). There are some other shows that have similar listings, but I don't feel like looking for them now. -- Brad D. (talk) 02:47, 22 December 2008 (UTC) ::::If they're completely Muppetless, they should probably be taken out too. Though Nick's version involves talking about, not clips and stuff, but there's really not much value in tracking every time a celebrity appeared on a show and mentioned they had a Muppet project to hype (I guess an argument could be made about clips, but). An actual *quote* from said appearance, if relevant, would be nice, but otherwise, I'd say dump them, and if anything the inclusion is misleading, since it's not an appearance by a Muppet or a main Muppet person, even if the subject comes up. -- Andrew Leal (talk) 03:00, 22 December 2008 (UTC) ::::::I looked at the page (and those references were added two years ago, so they don't exactly reflect how the Wiki's evolved). Tarantino discussing his "love for the Muppets" is a step up on the relevance meter, but that info's already on Tarantino's page. Basically, it doesn't fit with our general rules about celebrities and what's Muppet relevant. Noting that a random celeb appeared on a talk show the day of or before a Muppet special and mentioned said special isn't really helpful. Adding a quote from said celeb that's relevant or adds something beyond "Yeah, I worked with the Muppets" to the person's article makes more sense. If anyone learns of an appearance by a celeb and wants to make a note for their own reference, in case they find a copy and want to check it for quotes but don't want to forget the date, info parking on the talk page or a user page makes more sense. -- Andrew Leal (talk) 03:07, 22 December 2008 (UTC) :::::::Yeah, I somewhat agree. I mean Quentin Tarantino and Conan O'Brien's extended discussion of the Muppets is more of a "Muppet Mention" than a "Muppet Appearance". So maybe it could be still be noted somewhere on the page, just not in the appearance section. And it could also be noted on the celebrity's page that they did publicity for the project. I know Conan has talked with many celebries on his show about their then-recent stops to the set of Sesame Street (Tina Fey, Brian Williams, Neil Patrick Harris, ect) but we haven't noted them here. -- Brad D. (talk) 03:16, 22 December 2008 (UTC) ::::::::In general, this jibes with my comments at Talk:Minor Muppet TV Mentions. This stuff can beef up the celeb pages as long as we know something other than the fact that they appeared and mentioned the Muppets (either a quote or a specific summary; if Andie MacDowell joked that she envieed Piggy's hair and they fought over the dressing room, or something). Otherwise, it just doesn't fit, when like I said, we haven't even tracked all of Frank Oz' talkshow appearances where he mentions Muppets. It's just a messy area and not one that really helps to understand the Muppets in relation to the program (which in essence, is our goal with every article), not least because they've worked with so many people over the years. So, to sum up in a hypothetical, Rudolf Nureyev appearing on The Tonight Show to maybe plug his Muppet Show appearance (or maybe just mention it before going on to other things) does not count as an appearance. Nureyev discussing his passionate admiration for Miss Piggy and specifics of Swine Lake from said appearance, however, would be a great thing to transcribe and quote on Nureyev's page. Otherwise, it would be like adding every interview with a celeb which mentions their work on Muppet Show or Sesame to TV Guide as an appearance. -- Andrew Leal (talk) 03:24, 22 December 2008 (UTC) Today vs The Today Show NBC, and flagship station WNBC, only ever refer to the program as "Today" see the show's press pages - and the onscreen title cards and logos also reflect the title as simply "Today". Wikipedia's article for the show is under the title "Today" as well. I know we had a similar discussion reguarding the "The" and "Show on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". But it would it seem that this program's name is "Today" and people just add "The" and "Show" to it unofficially/informally to make it less awkward in writing/conversation (so you know they're talking about the NBC program and not the current day). Right now we have Today redirecting here, but would it be more appropriate to move the article to "Today" with "The Today Show" as the redirect? -- Brad D. (talk) 17:21, 8 November 2008 (UTC) :I don't know whetehr "he Today Show" was ever the official title. However, most Henson biogrphies that I've seen (The Story of Jim Henson, and I think Jim Henson: The Works) refer to it as The Today Show. I thought that Muppets from Space: The Making of Muppet Movie Magic referred to it as such, but on double-check, while it does refer to the show as such, "Today" is put in quotes, and the rest isn't. --Minor muppetz 04:32, 10 November 2008 (UTC) ::Any references/listing in various Muppet books (which are not affiliated with the show) don't nessesarily refect the true official title of the show. "The Today Show" seems more like the unofficial/casual term for the program (it is even used by NBC on occasion). But again, I think people just add the "The" and "Show" on there to help make it less awkward in a sentence (so it does not sound like you're talking about the current day rather than a television program). All the logos, title cards, press releases, TV listings and other official documents seem to call the program simply "Today". Even the title card from recent the Muppet take over said "The Muppets Take Over Today" not "The Muppets Take Over the Today Show". -- Brad D. (talk) 06:17, 16 November 2008 (UTC) :::Discussion seems somewhat stalled here - either no one has looked at this or no one really care. I'm going to propose we move this to Today (as that appears to be the show's official title) and have The Today Show be the redirect, unless someone objects. -- Brad D. (talk) 20:44, 6 December 2008 (UTC) ::::I'm okay with moving this to Today. I can't see any reason to keep the current title. I guess it's just what it's most commonly referred to, but we should go with the official title. —Scott (talk) 04:25, 7 December 2008 (UTC) :::::Yeah, I agree. This is a good catch, Brad; sorry to leave the discussion stalled for so long. -- Danny (talk) 07:56, 7 December 2008 (UTC) Control Room director This puppet was used as the control room director (voiced I believe by Stephanie D'Abruzzo). The real director walks in on him later in the show and calls him, what sounded to me like Pokey. Did anyone else hear it the same? Closed-captions weren't any help. —Scott (talk) 17:38, 13 November 2008 (UTC) : I do have that on tape at home, I can check it tonight. -- Zanimum 17:49, 13 November 2008 (UTC) ::You're right; I forget the name he's/she's referred to, but Carl is also referred to by a different name. -- MuppetDude 20:04, 13 November 2008 (UTC) :::I checked, and Carl is reffered to only as "Boss", and the Mr. Easy Peasy was called "Pokey". -- MuppetDude 15:24, 14 November 2008 (UTC) :::: That's what it sounded like to me. Anyone disagree that this is what they were called? -- Zanimum 18:21, 14 November 2008 (UTC) :::: Guess that's it then. -- Zanimum 13:46, 18 November 2008 (UTC) Bill Baretta and Craig Shemin? On Muppet Central, someone posted: "watched some of the clips on MSNBC...very funny from what I saw. Did anybody catch the cameos by Bill Baretta and Craig Shemin?" Anyone able to confirm that? Was Shemin the one in the coffee shop with Muppet Ann? -- Zanimum 17:49, 13 November 2008 (UTC) : Yep, that's them. —Scott (talk) 19:03, 13 November 2008 (UTC) :: Added them to the Today cameo to Miscellaneous Cameos. -- Zanimum 19:55, 13 November 2008 (UTC) Centenarian puppets image:Muppet_Ida_Thornbush.JPG|Ida Thornbush, Topiary, Kansas image:Muppet_Lee_Turgid.JPG|Lee Turgid, Cheverie, Maryland image:Muppet_Flick_Flashman.jpg|Flick Flashman, Woodstock, New York image:Muppet_Zeke_Stillwater.jpg|Zeke Stillwater, Missing Teeth, New Mexico Do any of these puppets have their own entries from previous productions, or are they new creations? Ida especially looks too sophisticated to have been made from scratch, just for one photo appearing 10 seconds. -- Zanimum 18:08, 13 November 2008 (UTC) :Zeke is reworked from Gramps and Ida seems to be a recolored version, or just a copy of the same pattern, of the Geri and the Atrics drummer. The other two look generic, with no molded features, so they're either two of the random Whatnots with replacable features from the 1990s (several of these kind popped up in the Meeting Films and so on) or they could also be examples from the FAO Whatnot Workshop. No way to be sure. -- Andrew Leal (talk) 18:14, 13 November 2008 (UTC) :: Thanks! -- Zanimum 18:41, 13 November 2008 (UTC) Appearance Date? Does anyone know the date of this appearance? I have no information and literally stumbled across this picture by accident in a non muppet related internet search. Image:Sesamestreettodayshowchristmas.JPG I'm seeing nothing on the page right now that would be a time fit for this appearance. -- Nate (talk) 17:12, 1 May 2008 (UTC) : Well, based on the appearance of Lester Holt in the back, it's no earlier than 2000. However, I'd assume it was taken 2003 on, as that's when he took on ''Weekend Today. Al Roker is post-weight loss, which guarantees its after 2002. And because of Katie Couric, the last Christmas it could be is 2005. -- Zanimum 15:50, 15 May 2008 (UTC) Gene Shalit The article mentions only one appearance with Gene, and that one didn't include Fozzie Bear. Yet in today's highlight reel for the 1970s on Today, Gene is talking with Kermit and Fozzie. It was only for a split second without sound, so I wasn't able to figure out what it was about. But was this the Manhattan interview? I don't remember any microphone clip on his collar. -- Zanimum 16:54, 10 January 2007 (UTC) : BTW, the Muppets appeared in the highlight reels for each of the decades, 1950s-1990s. If you go on the MSNBC website, each of the reels is available. -- Zanimum 20:48, 13 January 2007 (UTC) :: Where are they? I can't seem to find them. -- MuppetDude 17:41, 1 May 2008 (UTC) Weekly Appearances Does "weekly appearances" in 1962 and 1963 mean that the Muppets had a regular spot on the show? Was it like Jimmy Dean? What's the source for the "weekly" comment? -- Peter (talk) 14:27, 16 June 2006 (UTC) :I can't remember the source, but I recall reading somewhere that the muppets made weekly appearances. I think I read this piece of info in some sort of official source, just can't remember what the source was. And no, I am not the one who put that piece of info on here. --Minor muppetz 03:47, 24 June 2006 (UTC) ::I grabbed this info from (of all places) a biography that I found on the United States Postal Service site. (http://www.usps.com/communications/news/stamps/2005/sr05_046.htm) ::Still working on getting more details from inside contacts at both NBC and the Academy of Arts & Sciences, the custodian of television history to date. ::"The following year, .... The success of Sam and Friends led to guest appearances on such national network programs as The Steve Allen Show, The Jack Paar Show and Today. Jim also began making hundreds of humorous commercials for sponsors throughout the country. In 1961, as Muppets, Inc. grew, Jim and Jane brought on puppeteer and writer Jerry Juhl, who would become one of Jim's major collaborators. The demands of national television appearances brought Jim and his family to New York in 1963. [[With weekly appearances on Today and an ever-growing list of commercial clients, Jim sought out the talents of master puppet builder, Don Sahlin and young puppeteer, Frank Oz. Together, they helped develop the Muppets' first nationally known character, Rowlf the Dog, who appeared regularly on The Jimmy Dean Show from 1963 to 1966.]]Kermit d frog 04:40, 30 June 2006 (UTC) Piggy's Ears This might not belong exactly right here (feel free to move to "Discussion:Miss Piggy) but, What happened to Miss Piggy's ears in 1988? She appeared on Today Show with no ears, as seen in one of the pictures listed on this page. They forgot them.